Gaza - A Palestinian militant was killed and two wounded on Saturday morning in an Israeli strike on the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahia, medics and witnesses said.

Witnesses said an Israeli rocket fired at a group of militants, belong to al-Aqsa Martyrs Brogades, the armed wing of the secular Fatah movement.

An Israeli Army spokesman in Tel Aviv confirmed the attack against a rocket launching cell, saying that there were six rocket launches against Israel since Friday morning.

Mo'aweya Hassanein, chief of emergency and ambulance services in the Palestinian Ministry of Health, stated that the fatality was 25- year-old Ali Hejazi.

Palestinian security sources in Gaza said the Israeli army forces fired a surface-to-surface missile at northern Gaza Strip, as the militants were trying to launch homemade rockets at southern Israel.

On Friday, a six-month lull, brokered by Egypt between Israel and Gaza armed wings, expired. Gaza militant groups, including the Hamas movement that rules Gaza, had refused to renew the truce with Israel.

The Palestinian groups said that they decided not to renew the truce, accusing Israel of not committing to implementing it. According to the deal, Israel was to reopen Gaza crossings in exchange for the halting of rockets attacks from Gaza. dpa